You guys have an excellent timing of starting debates in the week of my final exams. A similar one had happened 2 years ago. Now I couldnt help writing all these, instead of studying.
This figure is grossly exaggerated and does not approach anywhere near the real number. Many refugees transferred to the ports in the Balkans were subsequently re-sent to Anatolian ports and interior:
David Cameron Cuthell, The Muhacirin Komisyonu: An Agent in the Transformation of Ottoman Anatolia 1860-1866, Unpublished PhD Dissertation (Columbia University, 2005). Page 171, note 204:
The failure of a number of contemporary observers as well as subsequent historians to note the fact that the [Refugee] Commission used Varna and Köstence as transfer points perhaps accounts, in part, for the over emphasis on the Rumelian provinces as the final destination for a great number of emigrants during this period. In reality, the two towns had the capacity to shelter refugees before they were sent on to Anatolian destinations and were not automatically sent on to the Rumelian sites. By using these ports as a means of alleviating the north Anatolian ports overcrowding, the Commission was doing nothing more than buying itself some time. While the Rumelian infrastructure was far more advanced, and did provide an opportunity to send some large groups to destinations inland, once the pressure was off, the focus on Anatolian settlement resumed in force.
An additional incentive at this time for the general resumption of settlement in Anatolia was the higher cost of settling refugees in Rumelia. Land and animal costs were higher and the incremental benefits of settlement there from an economic view were lower. A report from the Dahiliye (Interior Ministry) of 1864, discusses the strains placed on the Provincial as well as Central (Maliye sandýðý) Treasuries, incurred in the settlement of 2800 families or 8000 individuals in Lofca and Zistova. While the settlers were had almost three years remaining for their tax holidays, expenses incurred in their settlement already approached 15 Yuk, leaving the Government scrambling for ways to find near term offsets to this drain. (D 39470)Yeah, apparently you know well.
Silly. Then you should not complain about the less than flattering generalizations people may use in describing the Bulgarians. Bulgarians’ celebrated liberator, the American-Irish journalist, Januarius Aloysius MacGahan was quite upset with the prevalent conviction held about the Bulgarians:
“I have always heard them [Bulgarians] spoken of as mere savages, who were in reality not much more civilized than the American Indians.” (McGahan to Daily News 2 August, 1876)
Unpleasant remarks about the Bulgarians were also made by the Prince Alexander of Battenberg who would later become the first King of Bulgaria:
“
February 11th. Prince Alexander of Battenberg called this morning at H.M.’s Consulate… The Prince spoke in bitter terms of the Bulgarians. He said if the Turks were bad, the Bulgarians were a thousand times worse; that he pitied him who should be called upon to govern them; and that it would be absolutely necessary that they should be ruled with an iron hand. He attributed the present lack of discipline, in the Russian Army of occupation, and the pillaging which goes on in this town as elsewhere, to the evil influence of these Bulgarians, whom he considers to be a despicable people.” ( F.O. 195-1184, “Consul Blunt’s Journal” Adrianople, February 1-12th, 1878.)
By the atrocious Bulgarians, of course, who killed innocent Muslims:
Eliot to Derby F.O. 424/41, p 9, May 9, 1876:
“Outrages committed upon the peaceful Mussulmans, and especially upon the women and children, may provoke among the Mohemmedans a spirit of revenge likely to lead similar acts of retaliation.” Eliot to Derby F.O. 424/42, p 110, July, 14, 1876:
“There can be no doubt the Bulgarian instigators of the insurrection began by committing atrocities on Mussulmans and burning Bulgarian villages with the view of creating exasperation between the two races. In this they succeeded.”There is nothing more repulsive than your trashy and filthy contributions to this thread. I think the term retard most appropriately applies to you when considered along with the distinguished experts on Balkans:
L. S. Stavrianos, The Balkans Since 1453, (New York 1958) p.379:
“[t]he excited populace assembled in the square, sang revolutionary songs, heard flaming speeches from Benkovski, and then scattered to kill peaceable Turks wherever they could be found.” The Establishment of Balkan National States, 1804-1920, Charles and Barbara Jelavich, Seattle, 1977, p139:
Occupied elsewhere, the Ottoman government had only a limited number of regular soldiers to send against the rebels. Consequently it was compelled to use irregular detachments. Ottoman feeling was very strong since the Bulgarian insurgents, like other Balkan people in similar circumstances, had massacred resident Turkish civilians. Moreover the revolt was put down only after heavy fighting and after atrocities had been committed on both sides. The Ottoman reprisals, the so-called Bulgarian Horrors, received great publicity in Europe where only the Bulgarian side of the story was known. History of Balkans, Jelavich, p347-348
At the beggining the uprising had been accompanied by a massacre of muslim civilians. In reply, Ottoman irregulars used methods of utmost violence...The responsiblity for the reprisals rests primarily on the Ottoman irregular forces and Circassians, who were recent arrivals in the country and who had themselves undergone a tragic fate... In other words, many of the escesses were the acts of people who were themselves victims of atrocious treatment. Fikret Adanir (who reads Bulgarian btw), in his “Die Makedonische Frage” (The Macedonian Question) also quotes from other sources that confirm the killing of the Turkish civilians.
How is it two zero less? Walter Baring the British investigator who questioned the figure 1000 (on the basis of information supplied by Bulgarians and the American missionaries) put it at 500.
Richard Millman Bulgarian Massacres Reconsidered SEER, Vol. 58, No. 2, April 1980. page 222:
[referring to] the estimate of 1000 Turkish killed in the Bulgarian uprising, Baring wrote that “my information leads me to believe this to be a gross exaggeration; about half that number would probably be correct, but there is no doubt that the deaths of many of them were attended with . . . great cruelty”. 'My information' in this case could only have been Christian Bulgarian or American missionary informationNot quite accurate again. The lower is about 3000 (baring the Ottoman one which was around 1800) and probably the most accurate one.
As to the origin of the figure 12,000, this estimate was made in the immediate aftermath of the incidents. It has 2 basic flaws. First this figure included many runaways among the dead, since many fled elsewhere and were not in their village but nevertheless were counted dead. Later these people returned to their village. For example, at the end of October, Mr Calvert, as acting consul at Philippopolis, visited Perushtitsa where Schuyler had given the dead as 1,000 and Baring 750. Calvert was told by the leading Bulgarian Christian of the village that the total number of dead was 313: Calvert to Elliot, Philippopolis, 30 November 1876: FO 424/46, no. 33
Second, this estimation is made on the basis of the questionable assumption that 10 Bulgarians lived in a household. The more accurate number, however, was 5.
This has been corroborated by the celebrated Bulgarian historians as well. Maria Todorova, for instance, has written that “
The Bulgarian material from the nineteenth century, as illustrated by Figure 2 and Table 5 indicate five member households as most representative.” In here table, strictly speaking, the average given is actually lower than “5”. Her table indicates that for Bulgarians, Average Household Size was “4.39” and for Muslims it was “4.68.” (Situating the family of Ottoman Bulgaria within the European pattern., By: Todorova, Maria, History of the Family, 1081602X, 1996, Vol. 1, Issue 4)
Turkish historian Ömer Turan finds the number 5 as being more reliable (Turkish Minority Bulgaria 1878-1908 [Ankara 1998]). Richard Millman (same article page 225) also finds the number 5 more tenable, and notes that
“Baring estimated the dead at Batak and many other villages according to the measure of allowing ten Bulgarians for each house. Consul Calvert, however, upon later investigation requested by Salisbury, when the latter was representing Britain at the Constantinople Conference, found that five to a house was more accurate in the ten villages he visited on the slopes of the Balkan mountains.” Calvert to Salisbury, 11 January 1877: FO 424/37, no. 219. And Millman concludes that by this scale Barings estimation would be halved.
The Ottoman official examination carried out by the Edib Efendi, put it at 1,800. And to be frank I don’t find it reliable. An independent commission consisting of two non-Muslim, Mr. Blacque and Yonanço Effendi, the latter was Bulgarian, concluded that no more than 3000 Bulgarians lost their lives. [F.O. 78, No. 424/43 p.377, No 605.] Another examination by an American missionary, Mr Black, put it at about 3,800. [Papers of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission (ABC), 16.9.5 Table of Losses in Bulgaria] The most accurate figure comes from W.L. Stoney, the Principal Agent of the Central Relief Comitte for Bulgarians. After Walter Baring had left, he made house to house researches and found that many, whom Baring thought were dead, had in fact fled into the hills and returned only after Baring’s departure. His figure was “3,694” which included Turks/Muslims who were killed in the first instance.
Consul Calvert also commented that
“Mr. Stoney’s list may, I think, be accepted as closely approaching the truth. The figures have been obtained by house by house visitations, patiently and carefully carried on through the winter months, when the panic under the influence of which immensely exaggerated estimates had been made, had worn off, and when numbers of runaways, at first counted as dead, had returned to or were ascertained to be living in the towns or in those of the larger villages that escaped destruction.” [F.O. PP, 1877, Vol. XCII, p. 204-205.]
Greed knows no limit. Then, shame on those rich Bulgarians for putting an eye on the property and the belongings of the poor and for pillaging them. Read above, what Prince Alexander had said by the way. He attributed the “
the pillaging which goes on in this town as elsewhere, to the evil influence of these Bulgarians, whom he considers to be a despicable people.” (F.O. 195-1184, “Consul Blunt’s Journal” Adrianople, February 1-12th, 1878.) I can of course bring a lot more
Bulgarians themselves had burned many of their own villages at the outbreak of the uprising.
Sure, Ambassador Sir Henry Layard, Consul Brophy, Consul Blunt, Consul Reade, Consul Edmund Calvert, Consul F.R. J. Calvert, Dr Cullen, Lord Donoughmore, Henry J. Fawcett , Sir Henry Elliot, Fredrick Burnaby and a number of others whose name I cannot remember at the moment. I can quote their reports if you would like me to. But I am sure they will not please you.
Trash.
Dupuis to Elliot, Philippopolis, 27 July 1876: FO 424/43, no. 114:
At Singirli, one of the first to rise, a house being set on fire ... by the priest of the village to compel the inhabitants to take up arms against the Turks, telling them that the Russians were advancing to their assistance. Some twelve Turks were killed by the Bulgarians in the beginning of the affair: it was then attacked by the Bashi-Bazouks, who completely gutted it Baring to Elliot, Philippopolis, 27 July 1876: FO 424/43, no. 114:
The village of Dervent consisted of 800 houses; every one has been burnt. At the outbreak of the insurrection the [Bulgarian] inhabitants murdered a Turkish kiatib [leader of prayers] and two Zaptiehs [policemen], and threw up some rough fortifications, consisting of a low loop-holed stone wall.The Turkish population marched against them, and after a slight resistance, entered the village, pillaged, and burnt it. Some 250 Bulgarians are missing out of population of between 3,500 and 4,000.
The Turkish version is, that on approaching the village they called on the inhabitants several times to surrender, and only attacked on receiving a decided refusal; and further that the villagers themselves, on taking flight to the hills, set fire to their own homes.
I am not inclined quite to accept this [Turkish] story . . . From Dervent I proceeded to Kalofer….
the following story being told by the [Christian] villagers.
One day, quite at the outbreak of the insurrection, the priest, the school master, and some six or seven others called them and told them that the Russians were advancing, and that they must leave their villages as the Turks would attack them; those who objected were driven out by force, and twelve Mussulmans (the Turks say thirty-two) who happened to be in the village were murdered. The village was then set on fire, and the inhabitants fled. The Mussulmans, seeing part of the village in flames, went and pillaged all they could, and burnt the remaining houses. Baring to Elliot, Tatar-Pazarjik, 1 August 1876, and Philippopolis, 4 August 1876 FO 424/43, no. 197:
Here [Yenikeui] the people killed about thirty Turks, and left for the hills with the inhabitants of the other villages; the Bashi-Bazouks came and burnt it, and a few days later the inhabitants returned, but were attacked by the Turks, and sixty killed. Dupuis to Derby, Adrianople, 7 August 1876, FO.424/43 no. 239:
In many instances, the villages were set on fire by the Bulgarians themselves, in order to compel its inhabitants to take up armsReport by Walter Baring FO, 424/43 p.333:
"
He [Benkovski] recommended all the peasants who came to him to burn their houses, as they would afterwards be rebuilt of marble”Report by Walter Baring F.O. 78, No 424/43,p332:
“In Zincirli(Verigovo) the priest, the schoolmaster, and some other men drove the inhabitants out of their houses and forced them to set the village on fire” .
Matalas, the Greek vice-consul wrote that:
“up to the present [24 May] approximately 25 villages have been burned in the district of Bazardjik, as many by the [Bulgarian] insurgents as by the Bashi-Bazouks. Wyndham to Derby, 6 September 1876, FO 424/43, no. 633
Off the topic: If you make a distinction for Muslim victims which were killed, as Pomaks and Turks, perhaps you should also do so too it in the case Batak, where the slaughter was primarily the work of Pomaks. And perhaps the small-size brain pagane would like to make his stupid generalizations on this honorable Bulgarian/Slavic people.
Back to topic: Whatever was done by bashi-bozuks and Ahmet Aga was terrible and I am by no means proud with their evil actions. However, the criminals were punished and executed:
Philippopolis Baring to Elliot F.O. 424/45 p 24-25 No 69/1, October 12, 1876:
“Achmet Agha and Tossoun bey were under arrest. The other persons who have been arrested for their connection of the Batak affair are Alish Pehlivan of Bania, Achmet Tchaush of Derkovo and Hafouz Efendi of Rakitovo. Orders also have been sent to arrest the son of Achment Agha and Bektash Metto of Rakitovo”Elliot to Derby F.O. 424/46 p248, No 443, December 27 1876:
“Mr Baring informs me that Achment Agha has been condemned to death “Other cases of punishment:
Philippopolis, Baring to Elliot F.O 424/43 p2, no 2/1, July 20 1876:
“In the affair of Yeni Mahalle, a number of Bahsi-Bozuks were arrested with their bimbashi and were tried, setenced and executed all in one day.”. Philippopolis, Baring to Elliot F.O 424/43 p16, No 27/1, july 22 1876:
“A bahsi-bozuk was hung this morning for having taken part in the Haskeui affair”Bourgas, Brophy to Elliot F.O. 424/43 p 59, No. 111/1,
“Yesterday a Bahsi-Bozuk had been hung”Philippopolis, Baring to Jocelyn F.O. 424/49 p126, No237/2, Jannuary 28 1877:
“Metto Bektash Ahmet of Rakitovo had been surrendered, he is condemned to death”.Death and Exile, Justin Mccarthy, page 61:
Ottoman governors and generals arrested offending irregulars. Dervish Pahsa, for example, arrested irregulars who had plundered a Christian Village, publicly executed 5 of the culprits and bastinadoed 65 others( F.O. 78-2496, no 43, Blunt to Eliot, Salonica, 21 July 1876). In various parts of Bulgaria murderous Bashi-Bozuks were tried and hunged by the Otoman Government(F.O. 195-1077, Burgas, Brophy to Eliot, 22 July 1876 and 26 August 1876). Ottoman regular forces and police often prevented Circassians from plundering peacefull Bulgarian Villages and the Otoman zaptiehs( gerdarmes) even armed Bulgarian villagers to allow them to protect themselves.(F.O. 195-1077, Burgas, Bropy to Elliot, 29 October 1875)Indeed, it was in 1876. The American Consul General Eugene Schuyler (not Skyler) was, however, far from being objective.
Baring to Elliot, 5 September 1876: FO 424/43 no. 603.
Mr. Schuyler made no attempt to conceal his violent antipathy for everything Turkish, and that openly expressed the hope that the Ottoman Empire would shortly fall to pieces. During his tour in the Province of Slimnia he [Schuyler] was accompanied by Prince Tchertelew, Secretary to the Russian embassy at Constantinople, and Acting Vice-Consul at Philippopolis, whose influence did not probably weaken Mr. Schuyler's anti-Turkish sentiments.Richard Millman writes, page 231:
“The unconfirmed reports of a great Muslim massacre of Bulgarians, which had spread from Roumelia to Adrianople and Constantinople had been investigated by Baring, Dupuis, MacGahan and Schuyler, the latter two self-proclaimed Turk-haters.”Speaking of Bulgarian accounts, what Schuyler wrote and reported rested on what he was told by Bulgarians. The following quotation is from Schuyler's own report:
“Naturally much of what I [Schuyler] shall state rests on the authority of Bulgarians, ... As a general rule I have thought it needless to give the process by which I have arrived at my facts” Maynard to Fish, 21 November 1876, U.S. State Dept, vol. 30, no. 106.